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Chapter XLIV · Pride and Prejudice | Audiobook

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  Speaker 1: Chapter 44 Elizabeth had settled it that Mr Darcy would
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  Speaker 1: bring his sister to visit her the very day after
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  Speaker 1: her reaching Pemberley, and was, consequently, resolved not to be
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  Speaker 1: out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning.
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  Speaker 1: But her conclusion was false, for on the very morning
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  Speaker 1: after their own arrival at Lambton, these visitors came. They
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  Speaker 1: had been walking about the place with some of their
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  Speaker 1: new friends, and were just returned to the inn to
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  Speaker 1: dress themselves for dining with the same family, when the
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  Speaker 1: sound of a carriage drew them to a window, and
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  Speaker 1: they saw a gentleman and lady in a curricle driving
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  Speaker 1: up the street. Elizabeth, immediately recognising the livery, guessed what
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  Speaker 1: it meant. and imparted no small degree of surprise to
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  Speaker 1: her relations by acquainting them with the honour which she expected.
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  Speaker 1: Her uncle and aunt were all amazement, and the embarrassment
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  Speaker 1: of her manner as she spoke joined to the circumstance itself,
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  Speaker 1: and many of the circumstances of the preceding day opened
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  Speaker 1: to them a new idea on the business. Nothing had
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  Speaker 1: ever suggested it before. but they now felt that there
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  Speaker 1: was no other way of accounting for such attentions from
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  Speaker 1: such a quarter than by supposing a partiality for their niece.
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  Speaker 1: While these newly-born notions were passing in their heads, the
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  Speaker 1: perturbation of Elizabeth's feelings was every moment increasing. She was
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  Speaker 1: quite amazed at her own discomposure. But, amongst other causes
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  Speaker 1: of disquiet, She dreaded lest the partiality of the brother
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  Speaker 1: should have said too much in her favour, and, more
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  Speaker 1: than commonly anxious to please, she naturally suspected that every
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  Speaker 1: power of pleasing would fail her. She retreated from the window,
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  Speaker 1: fearful of being seen, and as she walked up and
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  Speaker 1: down the room, endeavouring to compose herself, saw such looks
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  Speaker 1: of inquiring surprise in her uncle and aunt has made
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  Speaker 1: everything worse. Miss Darcy and her brother appeared, and this
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  Speaker 1: formidable introduction took place. With astonishment did Elizabeth see that
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  Speaker 1: her new acquaintance was at least as much embarrassed as herself.
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  Speaker 1: Since her being at Lambton, she had heard that Miss
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  Speaker 1: Darcy was exceedingly proud, but the observation of a very
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  Speaker 1: few minutes convinced her that she was only exceedingly shy.
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  Speaker 1: she found it difficult to obtain even a word from
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  Speaker 1: her beyond a monosyllable. Miss Darcy was tall, and on
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  Speaker 1: a larger scale than Elizabeth, and, though little more than sixteen,
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  Speaker 1: her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful.
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  Speaker 1: She was less handsome than her brother, but there was
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  Speaker 1: sense and good humour in her face, and her manners
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  Speaker 1: were perfectly unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth, who had expected to
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  Speaker 1: find in her as acute and unembarrassed an observer as
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  Speaker 1: ever Mr Darcy had been, was much relieved by discerning
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  Speaker 1: such different feelings. They had not been long together before
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  Speaker 1: Darcy told her that Bingley was also coming to wait
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  Speaker 1: on her, and she had barely time to express her
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  Speaker 1: satisfaction and prepare for such a visitor. when Bingley's quick
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  Speaker 1: step was heard on the stairs, and in a moment
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  Speaker 1: he entered the room. All Elizabeth's anger against him had
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  Speaker 1: been long done away, but had she still felt any,
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  Speaker 1: it could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected
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  Speaker 1: cordiality with which he expressed himself on seeing her again.
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  Speaker 1: He inquired, in a friendly though general way, after her family,
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  Speaker 1: and looked and spoke with the same good-humoured ease that
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  Speaker 1: he had ever done. To Mr and Mrs Gardiner he
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  Speaker 1: was scarcely a less interesting personage than to herself. They
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  Speaker 1: had long wished to see him. The whole party before them, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: excited a lively attention. The suspicions which had just arisen
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  Speaker 1: of Mr Darcy and their niece directed their observation towards
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  Speaker 1: each with an earnest, though guarded, inquiry. And they soon
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  Speaker 1: drew from those inquiries the full conviction that one of
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  Speaker 1: them at least knew what it was to love. Of
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  Speaker 1: the ladies' sensations, they remained a little in doubt. But
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  Speaker 1: that the gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough. Elizabeth,
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  Speaker 1: on her side, had much to do. She wanted to
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  Speaker 1: ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors, she wanted
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  Speaker 1: to compose her own, and to make herself agreeable to all.
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  Speaker 1: And in the latter object, where she feared most to fail,
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  Speaker 1: she was most sure of success, for those to whom
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  Speaker 1: she endeavoured to give pleasure were pre-possessed in her favour.
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  Speaker 1: Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined to
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  Speaker 1: be pleased. In seeing Bingley, her thoughts naturally flew to
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  Speaker 1: her sister, and oh, how ardently did she long to
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  Speaker 1: know whether any of his were directed in a like manner.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes she could fancy that he talked less than on
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  Speaker 1: former occasions, and once or twice pleased herself with the
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  Speaker 1: notion that, as he looked at her, he was trying
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  Speaker 1: to trace a resemblance. But, though this might be imaginary...
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  Speaker 1: She could not be deceived as to his behaviour to
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  Speaker 1: Miss Darcy, who had been set up as a rival
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  Speaker 1: to Jane. No look appeared on either side that spoke
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  Speaker 1: particular regard. Nothing occurred between them that could justify the
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  Speaker 1: hopes of his sister. On this point she was soon satisfied,
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  Speaker 1: and two or three little circumstances occurred ere they parted, which,
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  Speaker 1: in her anxious interpretation, denoted a recollection of Jane, not
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  Speaker 1: untinctured by tenderness, and a wish of saying more that
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  Speaker 1: might lead to the mention of her, had he dared.
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  Speaker 1: He observed to her, at a moment when the others
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  Speaker 1: were talking together, and in a tone which had something
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  Speaker 1: of real regret, that it was a very long time
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  Speaker 1: since he had had the pleasure of seeing her. And
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  Speaker 1: before she could reply, he added, It is above eight months.
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  Speaker 1: We have not met since the 26th of November, when
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  Speaker 1: we were all dancing together at Netherfield. Elizabeth was pleased
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  Speaker 1: to find his memory so exact, and he afterwards took
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  Speaker 1: occasion to ask her, when unattended to by any of
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  Speaker 1: the rest, whether all her sisters were at Longbourn. There
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  Speaker 1: was not much in the question, nor in the preceding remark,
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  Speaker 1: but there was a look and a manner which gave
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  Speaker 1: them meaning. It was not often that she could turn
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  Speaker 1: her eyes on Mr. Darcy himself, but whenever she did
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  Speaker 1: catch a glimpse, she saw an expression of general complacence,
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  Speaker 1: and in all that he said, she heard an accent
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  Speaker 1: so far removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions,
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  Speaker 1: as convinced her that the improvement of manners which she
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  Speaker 1: had yesterday witnessed, however temporary its existence might prove, had
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  Speaker 1: at least outlived one day. When she saw him thus
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  Speaker 1: seeking the acquaintance, and courting the good opinion of people
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  Speaker 1: with whom any intercourse a few months ago would have
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  Speaker 1: been a disgrace. When she saw him thus civil, not
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  Speaker 1: only to herself, but to the very relations whom he
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  Speaker 1: had openly disdained, and recollected, their last lively scene in
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  Speaker 1: Hunsford Parsonage, the difference, the change was so great, and
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  Speaker 1: struck so forcibly on her mind that she could hardly
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  Speaker 1: restrain her astonishment from being visible. Never, even in the
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  Speaker 1: company of his dear friends at Netherfield, or his dignified
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  Speaker 1: relations at Rosings, had she seen him so desirous to please.
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  Speaker 1: so free from self-consequence or unbending reserve as now, when
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  Speaker 1: no importance could result from the success of his endeavours,
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  Speaker 1: and when even the acquaintance of those to whom his
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  Speaker 1: attentions were addressed would draw down the ridicule and censure
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  Speaker 1: of the ladies both of Netherfield and Rosings. Their visitors
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  Speaker 1: stayed with them above half an hour, And when they
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  Speaker 1: arose to depart, Mr. Darcy called on his sister to
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  Speaker 1: join him in expressing their wish of seeing Mr. and Mrs.
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  Speaker 1: Gardiner and Miss Bennet to dinner at Pemberley before they
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  Speaker 1: left the country. Miss Darcy, though with a diffidence which
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  Speaker 1: marked her little in the habit of giving invitations, readily obeyed.
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  Speaker 1: Mrs Gardiner looked at her niece, desirous of knowing how she,
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  Speaker 1: whom the invitation most concerned, felt disposed as to its acceptance,
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  Speaker 1: but Elizabeth had turned away her head. Presuming, however, that
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  Speaker 1: this studied avoidance spoke rather a momentary embarrassment than any
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  Speaker 1: dislike of the proposal, and seeing in her husband, who
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  Speaker 1: was fond of society, a perfect willingness to accept it,
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  Speaker 1: she ventured to engage for her attendance, and the day
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  Speaker 1: after the next was fixed on Bingley expressed great pleasure
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  Speaker 1: in the certainty of seeing Elizabeth again, having still a
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  Speaker 1: great deal to say to her, and many inquiries to
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  Speaker 1: make after all their Hertfordshire friends. Elizabeth, construing all this
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  Speaker 1: into a wish of hearing her speak of her sister,
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  Speaker 1: was pleased, and on this account, as well as some others,
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  Speaker 1: found herself, when their visitors left them, capable of considering
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  Speaker 1: the last half hour with some satisfaction, though while it
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  Speaker 1: was passing, the enjoyment of it had been little. Eager
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  Speaker 1: to be alone, and fearful of inquiries or hints from
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  Speaker 1: her uncle and aunt, she stayed with them only long
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  Speaker 1: enough to hear their favourable opinion of Bingley, and then
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  Speaker 1: hurried away to dress. But she had no reason to
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  Speaker 1: fear Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's curiosity. It was not their
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  Speaker 1: wish to force her communication. It was evident that she
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  Speaker 1: was much better acquainted with Mr. Darcy than they had
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  Speaker 1: before any idea of. It was evident that he was
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  Speaker 1: very much in love with her. They saw much to interest,
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  Speaker 1: but nothing to justify inquiry. Of Mr. Darcy... It was
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  Speaker 1: now a matter of anxiety to think well, and, as
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  Speaker 1: far as their acquaintance reached, there was no fault to find.
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  Speaker 1: They could not be untouched by his politeness, and had
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  Speaker 1: they drawn his character from their own feelings and his
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  Speaker 1: servant's report, without any reference to any other account, the
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  Speaker 1: circle in Hertfordshire to which he was known would not
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  Speaker 1: have recognised it for Mr Darcy. There was now an interest, however,
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  Speaker 1: in believing the housekeeper, and they soon became sensible that
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  Speaker 1: the authority of a servant, who had known him since
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  Speaker 1: he was four years old, and whose own manners indicated respectability,
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  Speaker 1: was not to be hastily rejected. Neither had anything occurred
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  Speaker 1: in the intelligence of their Lambton friends that could materially
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  Speaker 1: lessen its weight. They had nothing to accuse him of
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  Speaker 1: but pride. Pride he probably had, and if not, it
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  Speaker 1: would certainly be imputed by the inhabitants of a small
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  Speaker 1: market town where the family did not visit. It was acknowledged, however,
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  Speaker 1: that he was a liberal man and did much good
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  Speaker 1: among the poor. With respect to Wickham, the travellers soon
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  Speaker 1: found that he was not held there in much estimation
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  Speaker 1: for though the chief of his concerns with the son
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  Speaker 1: of his patron were imperfectly understood, it was yet a
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  Speaker 1: well-known fact that, on his quitting Derbyshire, he had left
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  Speaker 1: many debts behind him, which Mr. Darcy afterwards discharged. As
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  Speaker 1: for Elizabeth, her thoughts were at Pemberley this evening more
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  Speaker 1: than the last, and the evening, though as it passed
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  Speaker 1: it seemed long, was not long enough to determine her
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  Speaker 1: feelings towards one in that mansion, and she lay awake
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  Speaker 1: two whole hours, endeavouring to make them out. She certainly
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  Speaker 1: did not hate him. No, hatred had vanished long ago,
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  Speaker 1: and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever
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  Speaker 1: feeling a dislike against him that could be so called.
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  Speaker 1: The respect created by the conviction of his valuable qualities,
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  Speaker 1: though at first unwillingly admitted, had for some time ceased
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  Speaker 1: to be repugnant to her feelings, and it was now
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  Speaker 1: heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature, by the testimony
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  Speaker 1: so highly in his favour, and bringing forward his disposition
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  Speaker 1: in so amiable a light, which yesterday had produced. but
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  Speaker 1: above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive
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  Speaker 1: within her of goodwill which could not be overlooked. It
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  Speaker 1: was gratitude. Gratitude not merely for having once loved her,
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  Speaker 1: but for loving her still well enough to forgive all
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  Speaker 1: the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him,
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  Speaker 1: and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection. He who,
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  Speaker 1: she had been persuaded, would avoid her as his greatest enemy, seemed,
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  Speaker 1: on this accidental meeting, most eager to preserve the acquaintance,
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  Speaker 1: and without any indelicate display of regard, or any peculiarity
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  Speaker 1: of manner, where their two selves only were concerned, was
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  Speaker 1: soliciting the good opinion of her friends, and bent on
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  Speaker 1: making her known to his sister. Such a change in
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  Speaker 1: a man of so much pride excited not only astonishment
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  Speaker 1: but gratitude, for to love, ardent love, it must be attributed,
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  Speaker 1: and as such, its impression on her was of a
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  Speaker 1: sort to be encouraged as by no means unpleasing, though
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  Speaker 1: it could not be exactly defined. She respected, she esteemed,
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  Speaker 1: she was grateful to him, she felt a real interest
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  Speaker 1: in his welfare. and she only wanted to know how
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  Speaker 1: far she wished that welfare to depend upon herself, and
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  Speaker 1: how far it would be for the happiness of both,
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  Speaker 1: that she should employ the power, which her fancy told
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  Speaker 1: her she still possessed, of bringing on the renewal of
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  Speaker 1: his addresses. It had been settled in the evening, between
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  Speaker 1: the aunt and niece, that such a striking civility as
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  Speaker 1: Miss Darcy's in coming to them on the very day
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  Speaker 1: of her arrival at Pemberley, for she had reached it
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  Speaker 1: only to a late breakfast, ought to be imitated, though
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  Speaker 1: it could not be equalled, by some exertion of politeness
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  Speaker 1: on their side, and, consequently, that it would be highly
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  Speaker 1: expedient to wait on her at Pemberley the following morning.
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  Speaker 1: They were, therefore, to go. Elizabeth was pleased. though when
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  Speaker 1: she asked herself the reason, she had very little to
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  Speaker 1: say in reply. Mr Gardiner left them soon after breakfast.
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  Speaker 1: The fishing scheme had been renewed the day before, and
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  Speaker 1: a positive engagement made of his meeting some of the
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  Speaker 1: gentlemen at Pemberley by noon.